Building a Better Small-Block Ford - BluePrint For A Bulletproof Blue Oval

I’ve never really understood the whole Ford vs. Chevy dispute, for it seems that both camps have some pretty valid points when it comes to which marque is preferred over the other. If you’re arguing strictly aesthetics, it’s a pretty neck and neck argument as both the F-1 and the’48-’55 Chevys have a popular following, as do the mid-’50s F-100s versus the Tri-Five Chevys. Get into the ’60 though and the lines of popularity can start to quickly blur. The early ’60s Fords with their boxy unibody styling leave many with something more to be desired, while the Chevys of the era are similarly lacking in some minds. Forging onwards further into the decade and the popularity of the new C10 body style and features in 1967 today absolutely crushes the Ford camp. Be it parts availability, body styling, or mechanics, the Fords from the late ’60s-and-later just don’t seem to get nearly as much love as their Chevy brethren.

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When it comes to engines, the Chevy small-block has been a mainstay, generating loyalty with hot rodders soon after its introduction in 1955. Its Ford equivalent, the Y-block, never really caught on and was soon replaced by Ford’s first generation of small-block V-8s in the early to mid-’60s. The 289 and later the 302 and 351ci Ford engines, however, never seemed to catch up with the popularity shared by the Chevy engine line. Perhaps it was the confusion of cross application parts (it’s been said that the standard 302 family had nearly a half dozen different water pumps to choose from depending on the application) that kept guys from replacing their wore out Ford engines with similar drive train components. Perhaps it was junkyard and aftermarket availability that partially soured the Ford aftermarket. Whatever it was, there was a distinct increase in the number of trucks that were being built using Chevy power over Ford.

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But today, things have swung back around for the diehard Blue Oval bleeders, and the aftermarket has definitely played catch up, providing everything one needs to maintain that Ford in their Ford. From pulley kits, brackets, and dress-up items to long- and short-block rebuilds and crate engines, it’s all there now for the taking and has never before been easier.

Speedway Motors saw the writing on the wall for the loyal Ford owners and recently expanded their accessory line, teaming up with BluePrint Engines to introduce a freshly rebuilt 302 Ford Hot Rod Crate Engine. Perfect for any Ford enthusiast looking to upgrade that F-series pickup (or perhaps that Chevy guy who really wants to stir the pot!), Speedway’s 302 is assembled using the industry’s best parts by some of the finest assembly wrenches in the business. Speedway’s crate 302 is engineered for the street, which makes it manageable in any street application and gives it that extra edge over some of the other crate engine manufacturers. From the valvetrain to the intake, to the cam to the ignition, everything has been chosen to be as complete a package with zero guesswork necessary to plug-and-play. Every engine is even dyno-tuned to ensure that the package is ready to rock and roll upon delivery, with a hard copy of the dyno sheet enclosed in the instruction manual so you know exactly what you’re getting.

4/27To build the Speedway Motors 302 Ford Hot Rod Engines, the BluePrint Engines team starts with hand-selected seasoned blocks, which are thoroughly cleaned and pressure checked before being precision machined by experienced technicians. Blocks are bored 0.040 inches, squared and parallel decked, and the main bearing bore is align honed.

Never before has it been so easy to maintain that loyalty to the marque on the front of your truck. But don’t take my word for it, check it out for yourself and see what it takes to put together an engine as bulletproof as Speedway Motor’s 302 Hot Rod Crate Engine. CCT